Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom on Friday congratulated Anambra State Governor, Prof Charles Soludo and his Deputy, Dr Onyeka Ibezim, on their inauguration and assumption of office.
Ortom in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Nathaniel Ikyur and made available to journalists in Makurdi hailed the former Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria for his vision in which he promised to make “Anambra a mega-industrialised economy.”
Ortom said that although Soludo was coming into government at a time the economy of the country was at an all-time low, and insecurity has posed a major challenge in the country but noted “we are confident that you will use your wealth of experience as a renowned economist and a technocrat in the management of CBN to contribute positively to the challenges facing the country.”
He expressed confidence that the election of Soludo would usher in greater cooperation between Benue and Anambra in many ways in terms of business and other economic development.
A senator representing Anambra Central Senatorial District, Uche Ekwunife, said the administration of Governor Chukwuma Soludo would herald economic development in the state.
Soludo, a professor of Economics and former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, was sworn in as the sixth Anambra State governor on Thursday.
Ekwunife, who took to her Facebook page on Thursday, said the emergence of Soludo signified a remarkable day in the history of the state.
She urged the governor to employ transparent, accountable, gender-inclusive and people-centred governance.
She also tasked religious, traditional, political figures and other stakeholders irrespective of party affiliation to rally around the governor and work for the actualization of the vision, goals and dreams of the state’s founding fathers as the Light of the Nation.
She said, “Earlier today (Thursday), I joined other well-meaning Anambrarians to witness the inauguration of Prof Chukwuma Soludo as the Governor of Anambra State.
“The inauguration signified a remarkable day in the history of the state. I’m hopeful that Soludo’s administration will herald economic development in all the sectors of governance in the state.
Meanwhile, the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria has congratulated Soludo on his assumption of office as governor.
The Chairman, IPMAN, Enugu Depot in charge of Anambra, Ebonyi and Enugu states, Mr Chinedu Anyaso, stated this while addressing journalists in Awka, on Friday.
Anyaso commended Soludo for proposing to work on an economy that would be independent of oil through activating the state’s Internally Generated Revenue base and strengthening the fiscal regime.
He said the exploration of oil in commercial quantities and recognition of Anambra as an oil-producing state provided an opportunity for Soludo to grow the state oil sector.
He lamented that the absence of a functional petroleum depot in the zone was posing a serious challenge to marketers in the area.
Okpoko people need more attention, Soludo says after visit
However, the Anambra State governor visited Okpoko in the Ogbaru Local Government Area of the state on Friday. Okpoko is a suburb in Anambra State.
Although, ahead of the visit, street sweepers who had, for some days, abandoned their duty, were seen clearing the roads and drainage in Upper Iweka and Okpoko environs.
But the mountainous heaps of refuse, which adorned major roads in the area, could not be hidden from the governor as he expressed deep worry on sighting them.
The governor expressed unhappiness with the level of decadence in Okpoko and promised to sanitise the place, even as he promised that work would begin in the area immediately.
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